The Reading-based team again saw off Twickenham CC in a repeat of last year’s final at the AW Cycles Track League.

And the AW team of Tim Bedingfield, Alex Peterson, Roger Woodford and John Tuckett (all 1st or 2nd cat riders) overcame the dismal conditions with another powerful display.

With a steady drizzle soaking the track, several riders were reluctant to ride. But once the final got underway, it was clear that AW Cycles were not going to lose.

Although they started a bit ragged, their big guns soon got into their stride and started eating up the track.

Twickenham, who had only three on the start line, struggled to maintain their good early pace, but it was when they lost their third man with four laps to go that it really was all over.

There had been four heats of pursuits held to determine the two fastest finalists and it was encouraging to see a women’s team and three youth teams entered, with some really good times from the youngsters.

In fact, in the first heat Palmer Park Velo A squad finished with the fourth fastest time, with Hillingdon Slipstreamers fifth.

They also took the scalp of the Reading Cycling Club senior squad, who were caught by Twickenham in the second heat.

In the third heat, Palmer Park B’s youth squad of Under 12s did a number on the ladies squad to win by just under a second.

And in the fourth and final heat, AW Cycles set a blistering pace to lap their opposite numbers, Hemel Hempstead, and go on to qualify fastest.

In between the pursuiting, there were the league’s regular A’s, B’s and Womens Sprint competition, with heats and their winners through to the finals.

The Women’s final was a six-up affair and the pace picked up when Carrie Bedingfield put her foot on the gas and set off for the line with 200m to go.

Reigning World Masters 40+ sprint champion Janet Birkmyre was waiting to pounce and as they hit the home straight it was Birkmyre who showed a greater turn of speed to win comfortably, with Bedingfield second.

The Men’s B final was extremely close with Eddy Sobieralski opening up from 200m out and holding off a charging Rob Drinkwater to win by less than half a wheel.

The A race was much cagier, with David Jack holding Chris Bradbury and Sam Sturgeon on the fence for a time.

Bradbury accelerated clear with 250m to go, but Jack and Sturgeon did not let him get away and wound it up.

And as they came off the bend it was Jack, who passed Bradbury and then held off Sturgeon to win by a bike length.

The poor weather saw several events cancelled and the AW Cycles-sponsored 20km race was shortened to 10km as the rain began in earnest.

An early attack from Sam Sturgeon caught a few napping but soon he was chased down by Ian Greenstreet, Sandy King, John Warnock and Michael Wilmot.

Reading CC’s Rob King set off on a fruitless break, then another blistering attack from U16 National circuit champion Sandy King and another junior rider, Michael Wilmot, split the field.

They pulled away and Wilmot, who is known for his fast finish, took the endurance event by a bike length from King with Ian Greenstreet third.

John Warnock was the best B rider and Carrie Bedingfield was the only female finisher as the rain swept across the track in waves.

The youths had their usual round of Devils, Block handicaps, Hare & Hounds plus a one-lap time trial, but with numbers depleted due to the bad weather the fields were much smaller.

Stephen Bradbury won three events, being chased all the time by John Paul, who won the TT.

Daniel Maslin continued his winning ways, also winning three events, while James Hobbs took four events in the Under 16s and Rosie Serruya was dominant in the girls events.